If Origin Effects brought the heat with the launch of the Revival Drive, get ready to be melted with the RD Compact Hot Rod.
Starting in 2012 with the mission of bringing studio-grade quality to guitar pedals, Simon Keats made a groundbreaking product. This product is known as the Cali76, which is basically an 1176 studio compressor in a guitar pedal. Fast forward to this week and they’ve just dropped the first revolution of this decade, the RD Compact Hot Rod.
The idea behind this pedal seems simple, get the sound of modified vintage valve amps, put it in a box. Of course, that belies the tonal artistry of the team at Origin Effects. Read on to sink your teeth into some details.
Origin Effects’ first foray into overdrive/distortion pedals was the game-changing Revival Drive. Having immediate access to real vintage valve tone? Get out. The RD Compact Hot Rod offers up the same tonal signature but with more gain, more sustain, and more aggression.
You can pull Marshall Superlead tones, but with more nasty business. It’s as easy as sending the ‘More/Pres’ control over to the left. This gives the sound of ‘more’ power amp breakup. Want to cop those original searing Fender or ‘American’ tones like the early Mesa Boogies? Put your hand on the ‘High’ dial, and crank it to the right.
The RD Compact Hot Rod boasts class-A pre-amp style circuitry and stocks a range of features that make vintage amps sound and feel the way they do. Like power-supply sag, to lend the signal natural compression. It has a long-tailed pair phase inverter, for the possibility of another gain stage boost and variable negative feedback to tailor breakup characteristics or boost presence.
Other notable features include standard touring grade construction, post-drive EQ, and dry/wet mix control. Also, it packs a high-impedance buffered bypass with silent switching. If you’re not a fan of buffered bypass, it’s ok, you won’t be turning the RD Compact Hot Rod off… ever.
For a full rundown, head to Origin Effects product page.
